Plum Blossom Sanctuary

by Cosmic Sky

This was supposed to be a simple mission, albeit one Kurenai might have been better off bringing some company. Instead, company found her just as she ran into some complications. Rather fortunate since having someone with her gave her something else to think about besides grief. Unlikely as he was, he'd also be someone to help her move past her grief, like winter turning to spring.

2. Chapter 2-Sheltering In and Opening Up

Hello, everyone. I didn't mean for there to be such a long break between the first chapter and this one. Coincidentally, during that unexpected break Kurenai's been announced as a DLC character for Naruto X Boruto. She hasn't been playable since Ultimate Ninja 3, way back in 2005 (for the West, at least). Talk about a hell of an unexpected surprise, and motivator. Now then, with all that in mind, let's move onto the story!

I do not own anything.

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Plum Blossom Sanctuary

Chapter 2-Sheltering In and Opening Up

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The sound of snow crunching underfoot was loud in Kurenai's ears alongside the harsh breathing of the boy carrying her. Both were things she took odd solace in, or perhaps it wasn't too strange considering both were ushering her toward some place warm and safe. Such a place was needed, for the both of them.

She clenched at him feeling the harsh cold rip through her for the hundredth time. They were caught in a full-scale blizzard on the side of a mountain; overall the absolute last place anyone wanted to be. All thanks to her not being able to break a genjutsu lock. Believing she had done so had landed them in this situation, and now they were paying for it, dearly.

As she'd learned several times before now, mother nature could be absolutely merciless. Such ruthlessness took different forms depending on the season, and winter was probably one of the worst. Blizzards had left no small number of unlikely victims across the long history of the world. Kurenai hadn't intended for herself to become one of those victims, though Seiji was certainly doing his part to ensure she, and he didn't. She'd say he was doing an amazing job at that so far.

Despite the intense battle they'd fought, he was moving fast while carrying her. As she'd observed during their unintentional fight, he was absolutely no slouch in physical battle and fitness. From what she recalled, he was one of the new crop of genin that showed a great deal of promise, especially in the realm of physical combat. While not her forte, she kept an ear to the ground for the ninja that stood out, or those who seemed like they'd need guidance in certain areas. In the field of improving what he already possessed, Kurenai would say that Seiji would have found a great teacher in Guy, Kakashi, or both. In the back of her mind, she was reminded of her silver-haired colleague as they fought-his usage of bukijutsu was akin to Kakashi's, albeit not quite reaching the same level of skill. Yet, anyway.

"Pretty sure, we're…almost there!" If they weren't so close, him literally holding her in his arms, Kurenai knew she wouldn't have been able to hear him. "Just…hold on, a little…longer!"

She wanted to ask exactly how he knew they were getting closer to shelter, but between the raging blizzard and his concentration, she realized it was better to wait. That question could come after they were some place nice and warm; according to Seiji, they were almost there. With no choice, as well as no reason not to, she trusted him. Kurenai just hoped that she would be able to stay conscious until they made it there. She hoped Seiji would be able to stay conscious as well, albeit she had a feeling once they made it back to their shelter, he was going to collapse. Their fight had been taxing on the both of them, and now he was carrying her through a raging blizzard. Seiji may have been tough, but he wasn't at that level of stamina. At least not as far as she was aware of.

He could end up surprising her. He'd already done that in not only giving her a good fight but so quickly and efficiently to the developing situation. For a genin, it was impressive.

As with the other day, it was hard to see through the howling snow. How Seiji could see through, or tell where they were going, she could only guess. Still, she tried hard to look ahead as best she could. Nothing but a roar of hazy white. It was the sort where one didn't even need to take a step forward to get lost.

But they weren't lost, Seiji wasn't lost. Somehow, he'd led them right back to the home that they'd previously taken shelter in. Kurenai didn't even see its outline until they were practically right at the door, then bursting through it.

The transition was as sudden as a lightning flash. Gone were the fierce winds that'd battered them from all sides, though Kurenai could still hear them outside the walls of the abandoned house. For the briefest moment she wondered if the old place would actually be able to hold against the blizzard. If it couldn't then they were in serious trouble. They could worry about that later, however. Their immediate problem was warming up, and covering the door they'd just entered through.

Setting her down, Seiji spun around and made for it. He looked almost like an animated snowman, so heavy had it fallen on him that he was covered almost head to toe. That didn't stop him from pushing the door closed and bringing the barricade bracket down. His hand reached back into his kunai pouch with something being pulled out. Pushing herself upright, Kurenai watched him press it against the door while making a hand sign; the build up of chakra told her it was some kind of sealing tag. Once that was finished, he turned back to her, allowing her to see his face for the first time in what felt like hours.

He was trembling all over, from the cold, from the exhaustion, yet there was an unwavering focus in his blue eyes. In the darkness of the hallway, of the entire house, they were a pair of cobalt lanterns that she found solace in.

"W-W-W-We s-s-s-should be s-s-safe i-in-" Remaining standing and talking was taking a lot out of him, she could see that. Any second she wouldn't be surprised if he keeled over.

Kurenai made sure he didn't. "Y-Yes, s-s-safe. N-N-Now l-let's get warm, Se-S-Seiji." Her teeth were chattering too. In fairness, neither of them were the physical juggernauts that some of their fellow Leaf ninja were. She wrapped her an arm around his abdomen while throwing his left arm over her shoulder; in doing so, she became aware of another fact she'd previously observed, he had about two inches on her in the height department. Not the biggest height difference, nor was it something she wasn't used to. Kakashi, Guy, and Asuma all stood a good inch or so above her; it was simply a fact for most women. In her case, training had afforded her the ability to lift such people in case the situation called for it. This was one of those situations, albeit she too was fighting cold-borne fatigue.

She still did it, though.

Every step brought them back to the fireplace they'd been at before. A brief lookover told her nothing had changed since their stay there the night before. It seemed their little hideout had gone unused since they left, so they'd have use of it once more.

"S-S-Stay close." Dropping him beside her, she stared at the charred but still useful clumps of wood that rested in the irori. Just enough for what she needed. "F-F-F-Fire Style," melding the chakra within her stomach felt extremely good. Expelling it as fire felt even better, then came the near tantalizing waves of heat that was emitted from the newly made fire.

"A-Ah," Seiji moaned while reaching out with his hand. "G-G-Good call."

While the heat spread through her body, killing the cold that had been burrowing into her very core, she laughed. "I…figured you'd like a change of past." Her attempt to look cool in front of the younger ninja was the last action taken before her body gave out on her. It hadn't just been the hyperthermia eating away at her, she was still bleeding from the wounds of her fight.

Realizing that alarmed the male brunette who'd unintentionally inflicted them. "K-Kurenai-sensei!" She heard him scrambling toward her. "I-I-I…I did this to you."

The rising despair in his voice was a call to her. "S-S-Seiji, li-l-listen to me. W-W-What happened wasn't y-y-y-your fault. S-S-So d-d-don't go g-g-getting d-d-depressed on me. I-I-It's not going to help our situation."

Thankfully, her words got through on the first try, so she didn't need to repeat them. "A-A-Alright, I'll…I can…"

"Seiji, can you treat me?" She plainly asked. He gave a short but determined nod. "Then get to it, a-a-and stay close. T-T-To the fire." Had she not been wounded she'd have just said for him to stay close to her. In this situation, their bodies needed to warm up, and pooling their recovering body heat would have gone a ways into doing that. However, her injuries required treatment. She'd powered through them before, but her endurance was reaching its limit. However, fortune smiled upon her as she had someone beside her.

Someone that was proving by the minute to be as competent a companion as she needed at the moment.

She wasn't surprised that Seiji's skill at medical ninjutsu was limited, but he knew how to treat wounds using basic bandages, disinfectants, and stitches. He had plenty of those; the boy had truly came prepared for this solo mission.

Inevitably, some of her clothes came off, particularly her flack jacket which he'd done a good job of cutting up. Seiji's eyes lingered on it, his expression one of shame instead of pride. It remained as he tended to the various lacerations that laced her body. As she'd declared, they stayed by the fire, feeling its warmth washing over them. For Kurenai, it added to the gradual relaxation of her treatment. Not to mention after the blinding white storm outside, she rather enjoyed seeing something of a different color. Their proximity to the fire illuminated their faces in bright orange and yellow.

Even with that sheet of color over them, she still caught traces of Seiji's cobalt eyes whenever they occasionally glanced at her face. Their shivering had greatly decreased, though they were still in the process of warming up. Kurenai had a feeling that the redness she caught on his cheeks wasn't because of the fire.

Well, it's not like I've lost any of my looks. Concurrent to the spark of pride his averted gaze invoked in her was amazement. After her fall down the cliffside yesterday, as well as her battle with Seiji, it was a bit surprising she'd avoided any facial injuries. Especially the former. While she wasn't vain enough to fall into despair over some facial disfigurement, Kurenai was a little happy she'd avoided that fate. The clearly smitten gazes the young genin kept on shooting her way gave her reason to be happy. Hm, I guess there's no harm in it. Besides, you always did tell me there was nothing wrong with enjoying the attention.

Ironically, she then decided to pay more close attention to Seiji's face. He too was illuminated by the fire beside them, and this time they were far closer than they'd been before. She could tell he was transitioning from boyhood into manhood, and it was going rather smoothly. His hair wasn't quite as spiky as Kiba's, or Naruto's, but the spikes were still there. They seemed to jet toward the front rather than in all directions, albeit she wondered if they could be made to do so. Their current appearance may have been a hair style he consciously made. It also seemed like it was growing in the back, beginning to reach past his neck. In her opinion, it seemed time for him to cut it, unless he planned on letting it grow long enough, he could wrap it up into a ponytail.

Some of it was sticking to his face thanks to all the running in the snow, as well as the heat from the fire. It cast his chestnut brown hair in a near golden light, that she had to admit, looked rather good on him. As far as genin went, he'd proven himself to be quite exceptional. From what she remembered, his teammates stood on equal ground with him.

The fire cackled beside them in contrast to the howling winds around them. Her earlier fear that the walls would break down seems to have been for naught, though if the storm kept up, things might change.

"You handled all your weapons extremely well, Seiji." Kurenai decided she'd be the one to get a conversation going. They certainly had some things they could talk about while she was being treated. "I heard some stories about your bukijutsu, but seeing it in action was quite an experience. It reminded me of one of my colleagues."

"Kakashi Hatake, right?"

"Yep, him." Of course he knew him, practically everyone in the village knew Kakashi. Stories about him abound, some rooted in reality and others…not so much. She might ask Seiji which ones he'd heard of, and which he was most enthralled by. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's he like?"

Her opportunity presented itself faster than she expected. "What have you heard about the famed Kakashi of the Sharingan?" Kurenai felt a smirk on her lips. A challenge.

"A lot, some of which I'm sure are just legends."

"Such as?" She inquired.

He looked away, clearly wrestling with what sort of outrageous stories he wanted to share. Or, to be more specific, which she could take back to Kakashi himself. "He once took down fifty enemy ninja using nothing but a pair of chopsticks. He once copied a ninja's jutsu before he could even perform it. He-"

"That one he's done before." Not too crazy so far.

"He sucked an entire castle into the earth and let his ninja hounds feast on the enemy ninja inside."

"…Huh-huh."

"That he once copied a jutsu that could make someone's eyes explode inside of their skull."

"Hmm, sounds gory."

"And that he defeated a hundred ninja without ever looking up from his book."

"No comment."

"He has acidic saliva that he keeps contained via his mask."

"Ah, I've heard that one before. One of the wilder stories about his mask."

"He has a beauty mark."

"Alright, that's not so-"

"That if anyone looks at it, they'll fall madly in love with him. Thus, he keeps his face hidden so he doesn't steal the heart of every woman in the village."

There was an air of amusement in her as she shook her head. "A beauty mark, huh? One that automatically seduces any woman that looks at it, or just his face in general."

"That he knows how to talk to dogs? And I don't just mean ninken, I mean actual, normal dogs."

"That one, I wouldn't put past him. He certainly has a way with them."

"He knows a jutsu to peer into the future."

"He sure does like making people think that."

"He out sped a samurai in a battōjutsu duel." Her brow knitted at that tale. Seeing that, he let out an amused laugh. "Sorry about that. I meant iaijutsu, he did it using his Lightning Blade technique."

"Oh, that story. Well, I can tell you that one's true." Battōjutsu, quite an old and formal name. She was quietly impressed with the knowledge. Given his skill in weaponry, she wasn't surprised that he knew that story. "He's got every reason to be proud of that jutsu, his one original creation."

"I heard a story that he has another original jutsu. One that was so powerful it nearly defeated Team Seven. It's called the Thousand Ye-"

"No comment." Oh no, she was not heading down that rabbit hole. He wanted that story, he'd have to go to Kakashi, Sakura, or Naruto. Any of them but her.

A flicker of amusement was illuminated in his eyes. Her response had intrigued him. "Okay, he once made Team Seven run a hundred laps in a signal day."

"Hm, he must have taken some advice from Guy on that one."

"It kind of sucked when Arimoto-sensei made us do it, but it worked in the long run."

Kurenai smiled at him. "So, no complaints?"

He smirked back at her. "No comment beyond that."

From what she'd seen, running a hundred laps around a field wouldn't be the hardest thing for Seiji, nor would it be something he'd expressly dislike. While she had nothing against him, she'd already categorized him as being on the more physical side of ninja, much like two of three students. While he may have complained every once in a while, Kiba was almost always up for such physical exercise. Gradually, Hinata had come to accept it as well. While she didn't quite share her teammate's enthusiasm most of the time, she was always willing to put in the work. A hundred laps were ultimately just one more step on her road to becoming the stronger person she wanted to be. As for Shino, well, he simply did it all in silent acceptance, though he was there to give encouragement to the other two when they needed it; an undeniable sign that he cared for the two as teammates, and even friends.

I hope all three of you are doing alright now. Heh, I have a feeling you're doing especially well, Hinata. The mental image that flashed through her mind vanished in the storm of snow raging outside. Kurenai refocused on Seiji, sensing another question coming.

"About that book he's always reading. It's one of-"

"No comment."

He chuckled at her flat response, clearly having expected it. Since he probably knew what those books were, he wasn't surprised by her refusal to discuss them. The right thing for her to do would have been to tell him he was too young to know about such things, but she saw that ship had already sailed.

"Okay, is it true that during the Third-"

CRA-ACK!

"Shit!" They simultaneously said. The howl of the blizzard outside, once deafened became louder as it found its way inside. She and Seiji were on their feet, albeit they both wobbled a little despite the shot of adrenaline now coursing through them. One look and they took off together, following the sound of the ferocious whirl.

Looks like I did jinx us. Kurenai prayed they wouldn't hear any more cracks in the walls. Or worse, the entire home practically coming down atop of them. If it did, then they'd be in real deep trouble. She cursed at how many complications this seemingly simple mission was running into. If Kiba were here, he'd at least be able to dig a hole for us to take shelter in. Not to mention Akamura and Shino's insects would make for excellent sentries. Hinata as well, she might have been able to see through the genjutsu even faster than you could. Like an ugly black geyser thoughts of doubts and self-anger rose up within her. It seemed to make the pain in her injuries worse.

The crack had been on one side of the house, and thankfully it'd only been that, though the crack in the wall was roughly five feet in length in diameter. If they didn't seal it up, not only would the blizzard continue to seep into the home, it was likely the hole would get bigger. She could look at the broken wall and see the blizzard would further erode it. Oh, and it was practically an open door for anything else that might have been wondering around.

"W-W-We've got to fix this."

"Yes, but how?" Obviously, they needed to seal up the hole. It wasn't too large. Maybe if they could find some-

CRACK!

HWWWWWOOOOO!

"Ah, come on!" Yelled the male-brunette as he, and Kurenai, looked upward. Between the hole in the wall and now the ceiling, she wouldn't have been surprised if the whole damn side of the house gave way. Kurenai felt herself mentally prepare for such a thing. Her eyes moved from one side of the wall back to the ceiling, through which a flurry of snowflakes were eagerly rushing through. Between the two holes, she could already feel her body heat dropping.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she looked at the hole that'd been formed in the ceiling. It was about the same size as the one in the wall. They too could seal it up with something large enough, but its position was going to make that a little harder. Whatever they put up there, it'd have to stick.

Right about now, I really wish you were here, Kakashi. His earth jutsu would have been ideal for sealing up both holes. Hell, any other Earth Style user. Her eyes drifted to Seiji, who she could tell was starting to feel the cold nipping at him as well despite his snow coat. "Seiji," she called. "D-D-Do y-you know any Earth Style jutsu?"

He bit his lip, an immediate response that sunk the bit of hope she had in her chest. "No, but I…I…I think I can seal those holes up."

And like that, hope was restored. "How?" She immediately asked.

"With wood. Fresh wood. We'll need a lot of it, but I'm hoping it'll be enough, partially because it's the only plan I can think of."

"What? How?!"

He took a step toward the hole in the wall, a determined look on his face. While the blizzard may have been forcing its way in, he seemed to be trying to force it back with a simple glare. Surprisingly, his face was so set Kurenai briefly entertained the possibility he could do it. "I'll go out there and cut down some trees. Chop them up and use them to board the holes. I've…I've got a few nails that should be enough. Plus, some glue-like sealing tags. I brought all sorts of stuff with me just in case I might need them." Looking back, his stone-faced determination gave way to a small yet happy smile. "Guess I made the right call, huh?"

Snow whipped at his face causing him to turn back. He couldn't see the slight smile Kurenai put up in response. He also likely didn't hear her, "Yeah, you did." She could have argued with him, but they were running short on time and she didn't have a better plan. The sooner they sealed up the hole, the better. "Alright, fine, we'll go with your plan. That said, Seiji, do you know if there are any trees around here? Any you can cut down? And supposedly cut up into wooden planks?"

The stone-faced determination returned as he looked back at her, nodding. "T-This place is in the middle of a forest, s-s-so there's a few trees I can use. I-I just have to work fast."

Emphasis on fast. By now she was sure that the fire had probably gone out. The temperature had simply dropped that much. "I'll keep track of you, so don't wonder too far off, alright!"

"I got it!" He was out the door like a whip, seemingly disappearing into the white haze. The truth was Kurenai hated sending him out, as his senior she should have gone with him, but it was too late. Her hands tightened in frustration and resolution. Whatever tool he was going to use to do his cutting, she could only hope he'd have a few more so she could help out. She wanted to contribute too.

As she promised, she kept track of him. Thankfully, he was the only one out there. In keeping track of him, she felt the flareups of his chakra; more importantly she heard the flareups as well, or rather, the results of them. It was faint, but she heard the sound of trees falling, likely because they were still close by. The floor beneath her feet shook with each tree fall. Kurenai didn't know the precise measurements, but even in the cold of winter, they exceeded her height, some by a good margin. Based on what she was seeing, Seiji was indeed cutting them down.

A memory came to her mind, one of her discussing students with Squad 23's own leader. Aritomo was one of the best weapon masters in the Leaf, having the respect of the swordsmen like the late Hayate Gekko and staff users like the Akimichi Clan. Matter of fact, like the latter, bukijutsu was a skill that seemed to run in the Arimura Family.

"Make no mistake, one day he's probably going to surpass me in weaponry. Specifically blades. The kid's a natural at channeling wind nature chakra through his blades."

"How skilled are we talking?"

"Skilled as in he can cut through steel. It might have taken him a little bit to get the hang of it, but by now he's a natural at it. Daisaku's actually not that far behind, but even he concedes Seiji's the better of the two of them. He's also probably got the strongest passion for it."

"Passion, huh? That's good, it'll serve him well."

"It has, Kurenai. And it'll take him far into the future. Even Asuma's impressed with his work. You know, maybe I can see if Kakashi will be willing to let Naruto Uzumaki learn a little something from him!"

"Well, I could see it happening. They're both genin after all."

She laughed in tandem with her past self and Aritomo. The green-eyed jonin had a right to be proud of his student, and Kurenai was now seeing just how well-warranted that pride was. Watching him and listening to him brought her back to an old question, one she'd had before when she was talking with Aritomo. He clearly had a skilled set of students, so why hadn't they taken the next step?

The answer came to Kurenai almost immediately. It came to her as she continued to listen to Seiji do his best lumberjack impression. Right down to carrying in his haul.

Admittedly, her eyes widened as he pushed through the massive six-foot and seven-foot tree trunks he'd cut down through the wall. If he hadn't warned her beforehand, she might have gotten hit by some of them. Kurenai let her jaw hang open as she quietly examined them. It was immediately clear they'd been cut down with a chakra-enhanced blade; she would know, she'd seen such damage up close and personally thanks to Asuma. He'd have nodded in approval at the skill of the cuts, and the physical strength Seiji possessed to not only make them, but seemingly effortlessly push them through the hole.

In seemingly the blink of an eye, six severed tree trunks had been pushed through the hole, each taller than Kurenai. It was fortunate that the house was so spacious otherwise it might have been a cramped fit. Quickly inspecting each of them, she ran back to the hole and called out, "Seiji, that's enough! I think we've got enough, now come in so we can get chopping!"

"-ing!" Came his voice over the white sheen that was the world outside. She'd have sworn that the blizzard seemed to have gotten worse.

Immediately fearing for his safety, she stepped forward. Her feet crunched a thick layer of snow while her hands came together. "Seiji! Seiji! If you can hear me, follow the flames!" Chakra was kneaded into her stomach then expelled. Against the fierce winds, her fireball might as well have been a dying candle. Determined, she put more chakra into it.

"S-Sensei! S-S-Sensei! I see it! Y-You can stop!" Once he came into view, she stopped. The first thing she noticed were his eyes, those pools of cobalt blue that were illuminated by her fire. They surged with hope and concern as he drew closer. After basking in them for a second, she looked to the rest of his person. The shine of his twin swords caught her eye. These were simple ninjatō like he'd used earlier. They were full length katana. The glow of chakra still lingered on them as he jogged toward her.

She like to say she stepped aside and welcomed him in. It was more like he grabbed her and pushed her inside. He was cold, as was she. Even with their snow coats on, their bodies were shivering like leaves in the winter wind. They weren't frozen yet though.

He wrapped his arms around her, and she did the same. Her namesake red and his own namesake blue stared into one another. For a fraction of a second, the raging blizzard and their crumbling shelter just…melted away. Even the bitter cold that'd been gripping them just a second ago loosened its grip.

It's because she clung to him, and he clung to her. His swords clattered to the ground as he embraced her. For the first time in weeks, scratch that, months, she was held by a man. One almost twenty years younger than her, but still. She was held in such a tight, warm embrace…and she enjoyed it.

But she had to break it. As did he.

"You said…that'll be enough?" The blush on his cheeks was undeniable as he turned back to the logs he'd pushed in.

Kurenai felt a bit of a blush on her own face. Rather than fight it, she chose to simply roll with it. "Y-Yes, it will be. Hopefully." She had a feeling he hadn't just cut them down to seal up the hole, but given them some firewood as well. They were going to need it at the rate the blizzard was going. Turning around behind her, she spied his sword, his katana. As she reached down to pick them up and offer them to him, she took a passing look at them. They were without a doubt first-class weapons, true works of craftsmanship. "Seiji, do you have anything I can use? I don't want to just stay here and let you do all the work."

"Y-Yeah, I do. It's just…well, I'm sure you know your way around blades."

"A little." She added with a slight smile.

Unsurprisingly, he pulled out a scroll, one ordained with wind-like blue swirls. A few hand signs and puff of smoke later, she laid eyes on a familiar weapon.

"Sorry about that." Kurenai offered as she took hold of the kusari-gama, barefoot of its steel weight. Courtesy of her.

He regarded her with an aside smile. "It's okay. If anything, you breaking it just means I'm going to have to reinforce the chain. I was planning on doing it anyway, so it'll just be sooner rather than later."

"For the record, it wasn't easy to break this chain. I had to use up a lot of my chakra to make the flames hot enough to melt it."

His smile brightened at the compliment, though it vanished a second later. Kurenai immediately ascertained the reason why.

"It wasn't your fault. If anything, it was mine for not being more thorough."

He looked like he wanted to argue with her, but the continued growl of the blizzard took their minds off it. They shivered, being reminded that winter was still invading their little sanctuary.

Rather than both swords, Seiji used only one, and he used it like a master. As for her, the kusari-gama was highly receptive to chakra, it magnified its already sharpened edge. Following after him, she began cutting. It quickly proved to be harder than she would have liked.

Her wounds flared up as she put her back into cutting up the trees. Her chakra was still recovering as well. Seiji probably didn't realize how powerful his kusari-gama's chain was. Burning through it had indeed taken an immense about of chakra out of her, enough she could have used some of her stronger fire jutsu. She would have if she had more time and a broader target. The evidence of her exhaustion showed in the way the chakra around her borrowed weapon wavered. Not to mention the cold was getting to her too.

To her frustration, it didn't go unnoticed.

"Um, Kurenai-sensei." The concern in his voice was obvious.

"I can handle myself, Seiji. Just focus on the cutting." The authoritative tone of her voice was enough to get him to drop the issue, at least temporarily.

So he opted for something different. "Here, take this."

"Seiji,"

His blue eyes hardened. "Just take it, you're wounded and it's showing. I'm…I can endure the cold for a little while longer."

"Seiji," she called again. His firm gaze held. The winter wind kept on howling, though his gaze remained solid. Sighing, she decided to relent. "Alright, fine. But don't push yourself." Given he was bigger than her, his coat fit overwhelmingly well. The pain in her injuries remained, growing as she continued to cut wood, but the frigid cold was no longer nipping at her body. Not as much as it had been before. Knowing that Seiji had just taken her place, she doubled her efforts. That didn't stop her from sneaking glances at Seiji while they worked.

Without his snow coat, she saw he was still buddled up. A thick blue-colored sweater beneath his snow coat, with likely another piece of clothing underneath. And maybe another. Either way, it seemed to be enough. Or maybe it was just more natural fortitude.

In sneaking glances at him, she caught him doing the same. Neither of them said a word, an awkwardness neither of them knew how to address while they worked. The only thing that occupied the space between them were the sounds of blades, wood splitting, and the blizzard still pouring inside. The hole in the wall and ceiling had begun to accumulate into piles on the floor. Unless the holes were sealed up, that was going to be the look of the rest of the house.

What felt like hours later, at least to Kurenai, and they were done. Though not quite perfect, the planks were still quite decent looking. It was the sort of thing one would have boasted over if the situation wasn't so serious.

Seiji ran back to the main room then returned nearly a heartbeat later carrying a box. Given the nails and hammer he pulled out, Kurenai guessed it must have been something of a tool box. Dropping his chain-scythe to the ground, she grabbed the first plank of wood and held it up against the hole. With a mutual exchange, they got to work-her holding it while he pounded the nails in. All the while, the cold continued to batter at them. With that in mind, they worked as fast as they could, though they were careful not to rush themselves. A mistake and they'd be back to where they started, not to mention Kurenai didn't want to find out how many nails Seiji had with him.

They took a short break after sealing up the hole in the wall. Already, they felt the room becoming just a little bit warmer. A little but not a whole lot, for there was still the hole in the ceiling. Kurenai looked up to it with frustration. Using chakra, she could probably scale the ceiling and repair it, but in her state, she had to be cautious. If she ran out of chakra, it was going to hurt dropping to the floor, especially in her condition.

So, Seiji did it for her.

"Seiji," she called concerningly. Although he was sticking to the ceiling, she could see the way he wobbled.

"I'm fine! J-J-Just let me concentrate!" That's exactly what she did. If he fell, she was confident she'd be able to move fast enough to catch him. She'd caught heavier than a sixteen-year-old boy. Albeit a well-muscled one.

Cautiously, she watched him plug up the last hole. Thankfully, he was able to do so faster than the wall hole.

Dropping down, he presented her with a showman-like grin while holding his hands out. "There, all plugged up."

"Yes, and in good time too." Finally, the howl of the blizzard was pushed back to the outside. The planks would hopefully hold, but if they didn't, they'd cut up a few spares. If they needed to go up, Kurenai quietly promised she'd be the one to put them up. Seiji had already done enough, and it'd taken more than enough out of him, she could see it on his face and in his breathing. "Come on, let's get back to the fire." She offered him her hand, and he eagerly took it. The moment their hands touched, Kurenai felt a small spark go off within herself. She pushed it to the back of her mind as they returned to their previous spot.

Where they confronted another problem.

Of course the fire was dying. It'd been left untended to on top of being exposed to whatever drifting cold winds from the holes.

"It's just one thing after another." Kurenai groaned with frustration.

Seiji regarded the fire with focused eyes. "At least this problem's a little easier to handle."

"Yeah," she agreed as she began weaving hand signs. "I'll…give it the boost it needs." It'd be the last jutsu she'd cast for a while, but it'd be worth it. A hand fell on her hands as she completed the tiger seal. "Uh?"

"Let me do it." His own hands began to weave signs, several she recognized. "Wind Style-Divine Wind!" The dying fire was suddenly encircled by a small cyclone, a plentiful source of oxygen that gave it exactly what it needed. In seconds, the cyclone became one of fire, filling the gravel. Thinking quickly, Kurenai raced back to the sight of the repaired holes. When she came back, she had a small plank of wood that was quickly thrown into the fire.

"Couldn't let you do all the work. I am the senior ninja, here." She chirped when he turned to her. He had a bright smile, though it fell as he let out an exhausted pant. "Seiji," Kurenai called while reaching for his shoulder. "You've done enough, more than enough. Rest now. Get your strength back."

Now, it was hitting him in full force. Fighting her, running with her, chopping down trees, and boarding up walls, all while enduring the last breath of winter. A layer of frost had developed over him, and his shivering was further proof that he needed a break. He needed to be warm.

Despite seeing it through logically, Kurenai still felt the move was…spontaneous. One minute it was just her hand on his shoulder, then it was her whole body. Hers against his. The fire beside them.

"S-S-S-Sen-Sensei," came his, perfectly justifiably surprised voice.

"You…need to get warm. This is the quickly way to do that." Yes, that's what it was. That's why she was hugging this boy so tightly. That's why she was slowly letting herself just…forget. She wasn't alone. Someone was with her. Someone dependable, yet someone she could help. "Just…warm up with me." Exactly who are you saying that to? Him or you? Asked a snarky inner voice. Kurenai took one of Seiji's blades and swiftly silenced it.

Seiji's arms rose to wrap around her. Little by little, his shivering began to stop. Finally, he was warming up, and so was she. Something about that made her feel…happy. Relieved, almost.

Once more, they sat in silence, but this time they were held in each other's embrace. It was similar to when they'd finally made it in earlier, hugging one another to warmup. Except the hugging was lasting far longer than before. Not to mention it was mutual. Truly mutual.

It wasn't just Seiji whom tiredness was catching up to. Kurenai felt it as well. After everything she'd been through, a little sleep didn't sound like such a bad idea. They had a fire, and the snow coat could…well, it probably couldn't cover both of them, but staying huddled together would help. She hoped.

At her insistence, quiet insistence, they changed positions. Or they would have if they could decide who should face the fire.

"Sensei," he argued.

"You need it more than me. You were the one running out there in the cold, carrying me. You need to warm up more than I do. You're tough, but even you've got limits, right?" His expression was hard confirmation of her statement. "Seiji, while I appreciate the concern, I am a jonin."

"O…Okay." With that, he turned his back to the fire, letting it role over him. Inevitably, that cut Kurenai off, but she made do.

Seiji's arms were warm enough for them. Warm enough for her to rapidly become drowsy in. Warm enough to be comfortable in. Warm enough to fall asleep and have no nightmares gnaw at her.

---

The faint sound of the cackling fire was a welcome sound. Its presence meant the fire still hadn't gone out, plus they were still alive. In spite of everything, Seiji still had the worry that they'd be found. Part of his training had been to prepare for everything. That said, he honestly wanted to believe they could just have a moment of peace.

Rather shamelessly, he also just didn't want this peaceful moment with an absolutely beautiful woman like Kurenai Yūhi.

If anyone ever asked, he'd say he didn't plan any of this. Really, he fully expected a long but solitary track back to the Hidden Leaf Village.

Everyone asked him if he was sure he wanted to take this mission.

It'd just be him. Little 'ole him traveling to the near edge of the Land of Fire in the last throes of winter. A lone genin. A skilled one, but just him alone.

"I'll do it." He'd firmly stated. Both to the Fifth Hokage, to his teammates, and finally to his uncle. All told him to be careful, all told him to come back alive.

In fairness, he had completed his mission. Go investigate rather or not the Fukumitsu Mine had really been taken over by criminals. It had been, and he'd defeated them all by himself. There'd been at least a dozen of them, but Seiji had been expecting that. Some of them had put up a fight, but those that weren't dead by his hand were in custody and would likely spend the next several decades in prison. Or their whole lives considering the crimes some of them had on their resumes.

The townspeople advised him to stay and wait out the coming storm, but Seiji was impatient. He wanted to get back in time to see the Emon Exhibition while it was in Konoha. Taking a shortcake through the Mount Ōnabuchi seemed like a good idea. It was nothing short of absolutely, positively, laughable that he just happened to run into a fellow ninja on the way there, and end up saving her life not once, but potentially twice.

Seiji didn't believe in fate, but he knew coincidence could be a hell of a funny thing.

She'd insisted on having him sit close to the fire, not at all unreasonable since he'd been exposed to the cold while pushing himself. Running with her in the midst of the blizzard had been the hardest thing he'd done so far, but it was something he had to do. He had to get her to safety. He owed it to her after nearly getting her killed while under genjutsu.

It figured, it just had to be genjutsu. The one aspect of the ninja arts he loathed and absolutely sucked at.

When she told him there was a genjutsu booby trap woven into the puzzle box she'd been tasked with retrieving. Considering it held the key to the Kanazawa family fortune, it wasn't surprising. Just having a complicated locking mechanism wasn't enough, not when one could just take the direct route and try to smash the box open.

If anyone tried that, they'd have a tougher than expected time. The box was made out of reinforced wood. A steel hammer could come down on it and it'd be the hammer that would be dented, not the box. It was nothing less than what to expect from Toshimasa Kanazawa, one of the finest businessmen to ever grace the Land of Fire. Likewise, it didn't surprise him that the Leaf had sent one a jōnin to retrieve the box.

But Seiji had to wonder, where was the rest of her team? Team 8, one of the best tracking units in the whole village.

Waking up and staring down at her, the answer hit him like one of the thousands of snowflakes whipping about outside.

The death of a loved one was never easy, and he'd know. Kurenai knew better than him, however, having lost both her parents…and her lover. The latter was likely still fresh in her mind. Asuma Sarutobi's death was only two months ago. For some people, that was enough time to…come to terms. Some people. Not everyone.

It might have been enough to pretend that everything was alright.

Seeing that the ebony-haired woman was still sleeping, Seiji quietly moved aside. Careful not to wake her up, he pushed her toward the fire. He pulled his snow coat over her. There was still a chill in the air, but it was what he'd felt before when they entered the home. At least there weren't anymore holes in the house.

Seiji wasn't surprised to hear the blizzard still raging outside. It didn't sound like it'd let up since they'd gone to sleep. He had no idea how long their slumber had been, he'd have to look at a watch for that.

She said he came prepared. That was his mantra, though it was also something of an ingrained trait. Growing up surrounded by mundane and exotic items, Seiji had learned to always make sure what you needed to have on hand. That went for money, identification, clothing, and as a ninja, weapons, and tools for almost any situation. Taking what you needed from your surroundings was also fair game.

He supposed that's what they did with this house. Whoever used to live in it was long gone, so he didn't see too much of a problem with them using it for their own. They'd have died without it.

Finally checking a watch, he noted how it was actually a quarter to six PM. They'd roughly slept all day. Looking at his hands and flexing his fingers, he concluded it was a beneficial sleep.

"It's not like we've got much to do." He said after a quick look around room. Besides a few old and ruined pieces of furniture, there wasn't much else around. He'd checked upstairs, cautiously, and found there wasn't much there either. Ultimately, the house was long abandoned, but stable enough they could hopefully wait out the storm outside.

Seiji's blue eyes inevitably fell back on the sleeping form of the unlikely companion he'd made on this journey. Of all the people for him to run into, it had to be Kurenai Yūhi?

It just had to be the most beautiful women he'd ever laid eyes on, and in the middle of a snow storm. And he'd just had to have nearly killed her thanks to the influence of genjutsu.

There was a snarky comment to be made about how she'd been under the influence as well, despite her being the Leaf's foremost genjutsu expert. She'd sure as hell broke out of it faster than him, and stayed alive long enough to break him out of it.

Regret once more clawed at him as he bowed his head to her slumbering form. "I'm sorry."

"…Don't be."

Quickly rising up, he felt his heart practically skip a beat as the once still form of the kunoichi rose. With the still roaring fire behind her, Seiji could do nothing but gawk at her light-cast beauty, especially her eyes. Before her, he'd never seen someone with such a pair of crimson-colored eyes. Her parents had named her appropriately, as they had him.

The first time he'd seen her, it'd been at the academy, about a month or so before he became a genin. After all the classes on genjutsu, a certified expert, the certified expert, came to teach a class. Seiji had paid attention, but half his brain was still stuck on how drop-dead gorgeous the guest expert was. Albeit he wasn't the only one who had that problem. Even some of the girls were staring at Kurenai-sensei with the same smitten awe.

Seiji knew he had a view of her that his younger self, and his classmates, would have given an arm to see.

Her raven-dark hair glowed in the fire's light as did her eyes, crimson lanterns that could stop anyone cold. Both in awe and in fear. He was certainly in awe of her, and he felt it on his face. That loose hanging of his jaw, the way he couldn't look anywhere but in her direction, and that increased heartrate, he knew it was the same old thirteen-year-old him emerging. Truth be told, that part of him had never entirely went away. It'd never came up since his interactions with her had always been in passing. Only in the last twenty-four hours had they really been able to talk, and even now, but now something was different.

Immediately, the image of them hugging flashed in his mind. His whole body suddenly felt lighter while his cheeks felt warmer than they'd already been. Seiji wasn't a fool; he knew exactly what it was. He also knew the best remedy would have been to look away from her, but he couldn't. Those red eyes had him utterly pinned.

And we're going to be stuck like this until the blizzard dies down and we can go home. The thought filled him with both dread…and excitement.

"How…are you feeling, Seiji?" her voice seemingly pulled him closer to her.

"F-F-Fine. I-I-I actually think I should be asking you that. You were…more injured than me." As she told him, she was a jōnin, far beyond him in ability, but…he couldn't help but worry about her.

"I've been worse, far worse. If anything, I believe I should be fully healed up in a little while." Her head turned to the hallway, and beyond it the door they'd entered through. "We're not going to be going anywhere though, are we?"

He was beyond grateful for the slip into casual conversation. "No, we're not. This is a pretty nasty blizzard. Trying to navigate it would only end up getting us both killed; our bodies probably wouldn't be found until the spring. Which I really want to see."

Her lips curled into a smile. "That makes two of us, spring is my favorite season as well."

Hearing that made his eyes light up like torches. "Really? That's great! I didn't know that, I kind of begged you for a summer or even fall person."

"Because of my eyes and lipstick, right?" Sheepishly, he nodded, though that got a hearty laugh out of her. "Red is indeed my favorite color, as you know, but I have a healthy appreciation for other colors. Especially when they're bright and beautiful." It could have just been his imagination, but he could have sworn she was looking at him, namely his eyes.

"Trust me, one day those eyes of yours are going to be someone's own personal starlight, Seiji."

He wanted to believe his mother was right, and a very small, very optimistic side of him wanted to believe it might be Kurenai, but that was impossible. Absolutely never going to happen.

So, he settled with appreciation the unspoken compliment. "You know what they say about spring, it's the season of life."

"Which is a reason why I love it. The cold is receding and it's warm enough to go out, though not hot enough that you'll end up sweating through your clothes." They laughed at the common phenomenon in the Land of Fire. It didn't have its name for nothing, though even that fire could cool in the winter, as they were currently experiencing. "The cherry blossoms blooming in the capital, I've seen them once before, but I'd like to see them again."

"They're definitely a sight. Something I believe everyone should try to experience at least once in their lives." Despite growing up in Asakura, there were still many things about the city that amazed him. That was a testament to their beauty. It was also a point of pride for the city since those sights brought in loads of tourism every year. "By now people have probably already made their travel plans. Same thing with some restaurants. Reservations have to be made months in advance."

"So I've heard." She mused with a continued smile. "Did you ever take your teammates to dine at any of them?"

It was a polite way of asking if he ever used his familial connections. Given the way she phrased it and what said usage was for, Seiji was happy to answer it. "Yeah, twice. Some of the best afternoon meals we spent together. Plus, I…got to see my dad and tell him in person how I was doing."

Looking at her, he could tell she was trying to be as polite as possible in discussing his dad. He appreciated it.

However, he decided to cut straight to the heart of the issue. "He got better about me being a ninja after those visits. I mean, he got a first-hand experience during the Konoha Crush."

"Ah, yes, your father was one of the visitors from the capital." He nodded, though being the woman she was, she picked up on the way he somewhat squirmed in his seat. "Seiji, if you don't mind me asking, what happened to him? To you?"

"We were…kidnapped."

Her eyes widened as the pieces quickly clicked together. "Seiji, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring such a memory up for you."

He shook his head while giving a slight laugh. "No, no. It's…not as bad a memory as you may think. Sure, it was scary as hell, and…it ended badly for the ninja, but…I got to show my dad what I could do in waking up and fighting off our kidnappers." Touching on the memory brought a wave of warmth that aided him in staving off the remaining cold. "He may not have been able to see me down there in the stadium, but he was able to see me fighting off Sound Ninja intending to torture our family fortune out of us." Looking into her eyes, he felt more memories slipping out of him. "It…felt a little bit cathartic beating the crap out of them." Taking a quick breath, he forced out the thing that he'd been told to feel no shame over, yet he did. "My team couldn't make it past the second stage of the Chunin Exams."

"The Forest of Death." Her gaze was one of pure sympathy. In retrospect, it wasn't surprising. As a jōnin, she'd be through the Chunin Exams herself. "Seiji, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Some of the genin who went in there never made it out alive. Your whole team did."

"I know, I know that. We barely made it out alive. Aritomo-sensei told us the fact that we were still alive was something to be proud of. Not to mention it meant we could try again."

"Is that why you've trained so hard with weapons?"

"Partially." His smile was short-lived. In moving further back, he'd gone from happy memories the kind he'd rather forget. He couldn't forget them though. Forgetting them would feel like a slap in the face to Daisaku and Fukumi.

"Hey, Seiji, if you want, you can tell me what happened." Her sympathetic voice was a tender wind that immediately loosened him up.

As he summarized earlier, they were stuck here with little else to do. Besides, maybe talking about it would help him deal with it. More so considering what the woman in front of him specialized in. "We had a Heaven scroll, which I admittedly thought was kind of cool. Including having to, ya' know, fight for it. After the written exam, it felt great being able to just go head-to-head with other ninja." His laughter was brief, just like his joy at open combat had been. "The second exam wasn't about that though, not entirely. There were plenty of ninja who realized instead of fighting, they could just lie in wait. We knew that, I knew that, but…we still ended up wondering into a trap. A genjutsu trap." The raw emotion forced a him to bring his fist down against the hard wood floor. It shook the living room, though they might have also been the blizzard outside. "I suck at genjutsu. Performing it and countering it. It's why I was so glad to let you handle the-!" Wide-eyed, he looked straight at her. "The puzzle boxes! Do you still-"

In a reversal of earlier, she had the borderline amused smile on her face. In her hand were the two identical boxes that'd caused her, and him, so much grief. "I felt around for them when I woke up."

"First thing you did?"

"Yes."

"Ah," When the spell over him was broken, he completely forgot about the boxes. He'd have left them behind in favor of getting Kurenai to safety. It was the exact scenario that the second stage of the exam had been structured around. Seiji knew he'd really failed to take any of it into consideration. Valuable items and intel were to be prioritized over comrades. Still, I…I can't just…

"Seiji," she called. Kurenai scooted aside and patted the spot beside him, where the fire still burned. Somewhat shyly, he scooted over so they were face to face with the fire beside them. It illuminated both their faces, as well as the space around them. A small light in a dark home. "I presume you and your team were stonewalled?"

"Yeah, and it…I ended up costing us the exam." Even after all these years, the pain was still there. It always would be. "It was the second day. We'd decided to head straight for the tower and wait there instead of trying to nab an Earth scroll and fight our way there trying to hold onto both. Of course, we weren't the only ones with that idea. While we were making our way there, another team intercepted us…and put us…put me into a genjutsu. I…I…I…I spent so much time caught up in it, Daisaku and Fukumi practically had to spend all day snapping me out of it. At night, another team found us, and it turned into a fight. They…said some things that just got under my skin. From there, things just escalated. I'd like to say it was inevitable because they had an earth scroll, but…"

"It wasn't about the scroll, it was personal." Kurenai deduced. She still had that sympathetic glint in her eyes. He appreciated it, but he wasn't betting on it lasting for long.

"Yeah." He said about.

"…Was it…about your family?"

Again, in a quiet, shame-filled voice, he replied, "Yeah. Exactly. The problem with having a dad who's rich is even common people have heard of him. I've always been…well, people tend to ask, how come I'm not studying economics or business, how come I'm not following in my dad's footsteps when they find out who I am."

"Because it's not who you are, Seiji. You chose to follow your own path, and that's all there is to it." Admittedly, he'd heard that response before. Though he treasured it, considering the crush he was nursing on the raven-haired kunoichi in front of him…it definitely hit harder than expected. A smile blossomed along his face, and not even her next words could wipe it away. "But you need to learn how to keep your emotions under control. Once people figure out who you are, they'll use every advantage they can conceive to bring you down."

"That's what Aritomo-sensei said to me, and he was right. You're right. Back then though…well, we put up a hell of a fight, that's for sure. Our enemies were Sand ninja. We were about evenly matched. Both of us could have retreated, but we wanted each other's scroll." His hands tightened as he came to the story's climax. "One of them used genjutsu, and again, I fell for it. I…gah,"

"Take your time." She offered.

"I ended up taking what I believed to be their earth scroll. It turned out to be a paper bomb, one that I just barely managed to cut in half. Didn't stop the blast from knocking me on my ass. I was just barely conscious, but I saw Daisaku and Fukumi fighting them off. Everyone was getting close to the end of their rope, but…I didn't want to lose. I didn't want to lose to these people who called me a rich boy playing ninja. I hate that." For the first time, he looked to her with anger. While not directed at her, he was sure she could feel it-she had an idea of what he felt at that moment. Seiji himself vividly recalled it. The surge of anger, and the surge of chakra. "I fired off the strongest jutsu I had in my arsenal, and it hit two out of three of them. It knocked them down and left both near death…and destroyed the Earth scroll we'd been trying to grab. Daisaku finished off the last one. Afterward, we just…left them there. I don't know if they died on their own, the forest got them, or another team did. Either way, we took our scroll and left. By then, we were all burnt out."

"I see…you managed to hold onto your scroll, and kill the enemy. Not the objective you were aiming for, but still a worthwhile achievement." Kurenai offered.

His half-smile was short-lived. "Yeah, but Daisaku ended up getting poisoned. It took him the rest of the day to recover, by which point we were down to the fourth day. We were tired, but we didn't want to give up…so we headed back to the tower. They took us a whole day of fighting and running, which led us to another team. I think they had a Heaven scroll too, because while we were caught up in their illusion, they didn't try to grab our scroll when the chance presented itself. I think they did it just for fun. They were from the Rain Village, and they're not the biggest fans of the Leaf."

Kurenai's gaze sharpened, almost like something occurred to her. Whatever that something was, Seiji chose not toa address it. Instead, he continued with his story.

"We finally made out way to the tower again, on the final day. We knew our odds weren't the best, but we decided to sit there and wait for another team to come by. That and…we kind of just wanted to be somewhere we thought would be safe after everything we went through in the forest. It really was hell in there."

"Anko would be proud." She muttered.

"We got what we wanted once night fell; as it happened, it was another group of Sand ninja. It was our final fight. Their Earth scroll and our Heaven Scroll. The final night of the second stage. Pretty damn poetic." His pause wasn't for dramatic effect, it was him remembering the sensation of it all. They'd already been through one fierce battle, then it was another. His body ached, yet Seiji refused to give up. He was determined to be a ninja, and that drive pushed him through the final battle of his team's exam. "It came down to me holding their scroll while they tried to take Daisaku captive. I knew what would happen, we'd have to trade him for the scroll, assuming they kept their word. I'll be honest, after our last encounter, I wasn't in the best of moods, especially regarding Sand ninja. I…I destroyed the scroll. The shock was enough for Daisaku to break free allow us to regroup, but there was nothing left to fight over. I cut up the Earth scroll into ribbons. I failed us."

"And the enemy team." She sat poised and dignified, as befitting her position. It made her look even more stunning. "Though you failed to acquire both scrolls and reach the tower, you denied it to your enemy. Also, all three of you walked away alive. Seiji, as a veteran ninja, I can tell you while not the original goal, that was in some ways a victory. One you and your teammates should be proud of."

The smile stayed on his face a little longer. "Aritomo-sensei said the same thing when he bargained in ending the fight. He'd trained us to take care of ourselves, but…seeing him was a damn beautiful sight."

"Not an uncommon reaction, even for the most stone-faced genin." She offered with an amused smirk. "Yes, they were glad to see me, though for…different reasons than you might think."

Seiji wondered what those reasons were, though he decided he could ask again later. "Well, that's how our Chunin Exam ended. Thanks to me falling for genjutsu and getting baited like an idiot, we lost precious time and ended up losing our chance."

"Do your teammates feel that way?"

"They don't have to. I know it's-"

"Seiji, listen to me." That's immediately what he did, feeling a tingle from that strong, authority-laced voice of hers. "It's undeniable that your weakness to genjutsu played a part in your team's loss, but still. You made it out alive and you denied your enemy the completion of their mission. Though not ideal, you found some measure of success. As a shinobi, sometimes you must learn to be grateful for what small victories you can achieve in the field. Anger aside…you destroyed that last scroll to protect your teammate, didn't you?"

"I…I didn't trust they'd let Daisaku live. There was no reason to." He broke her gaze, looking at the fire illuminated floor. "Growing up in my family, I learned you can't expect the opposition to honor every deal. Especially when there's a lot going on. Personal feelings. Wanting to deny your enemy any advantage or leeway. All that said, at the heart of it…yeah, I didn't want to lose my teammate, and my friend. I…I already lost my mom. I didn't want to lose anyone else. I know it's potentially inevitably to lose someone you care about, but…if I can do anything to prevent that, I will."

It was nothing but pure emotion that led him to say all that. The fear he felt in that moment. The relief that came when it was all over, even though they'd failed. That feeling intermixed with the sorrowful regret that blossomed in that moment as well. It was a pivotal moment not just in his shinobi career, but his whole life. Seiji saw it as the biggest failure he'd suffered, and thankfully it still remained such to this day.

Something soft and warm touched his cheek. His registering of it was near simultaneous to the voice that reached his ears, warm and gentle, just as his teammates' words had been. "Seiji, that's not a nindō to be ashamed of. In fact, it's one to be proud of-it's also not you're alone in. Completing the mission is important, but so too is looking after one's comrades." Such kind words from eyes the color of blood, which he'd seen a lot of in the Forest of Death, and much of afterward. It was amazing how looking into them, he felt not a trace of hostility. It was only ever compassion, on its brightest display now. "I personally find it to be an honorable nindō, one worthy of a ninja."

Her hand, her words, her face, just…everything about her in that moment, made him more bedazzled by her than he'd already been.

His heart both quickened and calmed, a paradox he had no desire to explain away. "Th-Thank you, Kurenai-sensei."

Her smile somehow brightened while her touch lingered. Even though she still had her gloves on, he could have sworn it felt like her naked skin was touching his cheek. If he overlayed her hand with his, he had a feeling that's where things would end up going. After that…well, the deepening blush on his cheeks more than gave it away. Seiji could only hope she didn't read too much into that, or that she removed her hand, not yet. Likewise, he hoped she never pulled away as he enjoyed having her this close to him.

Hey, knock it off. She's still a widow. Pull back, do it before you do something you'll regret! As long as that blizzard's raging, you two are going to be stuck in here, so don't ruin it doing something stupid! Yelled the voice of reason. While Seiji knew it was right, he found it hard to follow through on its words. Like a magnet, he was stuck, and happily so at that. Pulling away was going to require more effort on his part. She would have to be the one to pull away.

And that's what she did, a pink tinge on her cheeks. While he mourned the loss of the intimacy, he thanked his stars for it happening in the first place. Also, he couldn't help but memorialize the blush on her cheeks. That he hadn't been expecting, and it wasn't something he was going to be forgetting. For her sake he wouldn't talk about it, but he certainly wasn't forgetting it.

"N-N-Now, then, I believe it's best we discuss these boxes. Obviously, our previous attempt to figure out which was which didn't exactly work." Her voice had returned to its professional tone. He didn't dislike the change for he knew it was coming.

"Y-Yeah, that's an understatement." He bristled at the mention of the deception. They very easily could have died thanks to the genjutsu that shielded those boxes. "Um, you can break it, right?"

"I'm certain I can, but it's going to be harder than I originally thought." Her hand fell on both boxes. While he didn't flinch, Seiji felt a tightened across his body. After their previous experience, he couldn't help but look at them with a heightened sense of unease. "It's just a theory, but I believe the genjutsu encoded into the box, both the real and fake box, might have come from the Kurama Clan."

"The…oh, the Kurama Clan! That clan of genjutsu specialist!"

"Yes, them. I once had a student from the clan who possessed genjutsu powers of truly terrifying magnitude."

"You know, I think I heard about that story." I also heard that whole incident almost made you quit being a ninja. Was what he didn't say. Looking at her face, he could tell the incident was personal. The mixture of sorrow and unease told him this incident with this old student of hers had been an adventure in its own right. Given the story went it involved her whole squad and one Naruto Uzumaki, he was certain it was the kind of tale that could be told around a campfire, or a hearth. But not now. "So, um, I guess old Toshimasa really didn't skip out on the security, huh?"

"No, he most certainly didn't. As I said, I can break the genjutsu around the boxes, preferable the real box so we can open it. That said, it'll take time and I'll have to be extremely careful to make sure I do it right." Their locked eyes conveyed the mutual desire to avoid another incident like before. Not only had they charged out into the middle of the blizzard, he'd nearly killed her because he was still caught up in the genjutsu. While they may have survived, it wasn't a situation they were either to test their luck in a second time. "Speaking of which…Seiji, how would you feel in helping me do that, and getting some help in genjutsu training?"

That wasn't something he expected. Wide-eyed, he half-pointed to himself. "W-What? Help me? As in…you, Kurenai-sensei?"

Her professional demeanor gave way to a light smirk. "Is there anyone else around you think could help you out?"

"W-Well, no, not to mention I wouldn't want anyone else." His face screwed up realizing his error. For better or worse, the kunoichi merely laughed at his slip up. Considering how beautiful she looked when she was smiling or laughing, he considered it the former. Quickly regaining his composure, he nodded. "I'd…appreciate it. I mean, if I'm at least a little better at it, hopefully I'll be able to break out of the genjutsu on my own next time." The truth was his hopes weren't too high, but with the famed Kurenai Yūhi teaching him, maybe, just maybe there was a glimmer of hope for him.

"Excellent, then let's get-" The undeniable growl was more than enough to bring a blush to her face. "S-Sorry," she stated looking away.

"I promise I won't tell anyone about that." Seiji cheekily remarked.

"T-Thanks."

Luckily, he had enough food for the both of them. Not to mention they still had a fire going. He was actually beginning to feel more than a little hungry himself. All the fighting, running, and log cutting had certainly helped him work up an appetite. If it hadn't been Kurenai's stomach, Seiji had a feeling it'd have been his that growled and ruined the mood.

He'd packed plenty of Onigiri, and to his delight, Kurenai didn't mind. He was especially happy she took a liking to the cheese-filled ones as he had. That wasn't all they had to eat though. Back in Fukumitsu Town he'd bought a few bento boxes, knowing he was in for a shortened but still long trip. They came in handy in giving them something a little more substantial to eat. Finally, it was another way for them to regain their energy.

Deeply comfortable in the pleasant atmosphere, Seiji elaborated on his own tale. "I…was never big on genjutsu. Ninjutsu and taijutsu, definitely, but…genjutsu always just felt a bit out of my league. Or interests."

"That's not an uncommon sentiment. Genjutsu is far trickier to both deal with as well as master. Some people have a natural talent for it while others have to work hard at it. I was a bit of both, but the I'd say it was more of the latter." Kurenai explained. "I could fight as well as my peers in hand-to-hand, but I always had an attraction to what sort of damage you could do using the mind. Not to mention I…suppose that I wanted to be a bit artistic in defeating enemies."

"Make them see something beautiful or horrifying just before they die?"

She cracked a smirk. "Not exactly heroic, right? Like some sort of mad artist."

"Well, you're a ninja. That comes with the territory. You're-"

"We're." She corrected.

His cheeks once more flushed red at the acknowledgement. "We're not inclined to fight fair unless we want to, and even then, playing a little dirty can be considered fair game."

"You knew all that, and yet you still chose to become a ninja."

"Honestly, I think my upbringing and heritage helped me a little in that regard. The business world can be a cutthroat place, something my dad and uncle made sure I knew. On the flipside, they also did their best to remind me there was still a place for morality, be it wide-scale or my own personal code."

"That's good advice, both as a ninja and I'd say as a person."

"Thanks." That buddle of joy cackled within him like a second fire. "Anyways, I just…never took to genjutsu. Heh, and in true fashion, it ended up screwing me and my team over when it came to the Chunin Exam."

"That too happens." She lowered her chopsticks and regarded him with a careful gaze. "Seiji, is that the reason why you and your team have skipped out on retaking the exam?"

That question was one he expected. The moment he began to open-up about what happened, he knew it was coming. A person as smart as Kurenai would have easily connected the dots. "…Yeah. At least…for me. I chose to focus on my ninjutsu and taijutsu, brush up a little bit on my intelligence too. All that but I just…stayed away from genjutsu. I guess you could say it traumatized me. Not to mention I…well, I…I hate fake things."

Kurenai was quiet at his confession. Seiji couldn't help but wonder, and worry, about how she was digesting his words. He wasn't trying to insult genjutsu, and thus her area of expertise and a point of pride for her. The anxiety made his next few bites taste a little less pleasant than they had been before.

"You have a sharp eye for detail. That can help you spot the flaws in a genjutsu and eventually break out of it." Her words were as sudden as a thunderclap. Captivated, he looked to her with wide eyes. "Several times, a genjutsu can be detected by notice some irregularities around it. They can be minor or major, but once you spot them, you can work your way out from there. Clear your own flow of chakra and the illusion will be broken. I'm sure you can do that. You have superb chakra control. All the training you did in that area paid off."

As far as encouragement went, this was better than anything he could have ever hoped for. Once more, he felt his cheeks darken. It wasn't like he thought she was a cold woman, but honestly, she was a lot more…encouraging than he ever thought. That may have just been to him not knowing her well enough.

"So, I've got reason to believe I won't be completely hopeless." He slowly stated.

Rather than answer, she looked to the side, toward the door. Curious, he followed her line of sight. Not once had the sound of snow pelting the earth let up. It was still pummeling the house, but it was holding up as they'd hoped.

"Sorry, just thought I heard something." She said.

"I put up some sensory tags around the place while you were sleeping yesterday. One of them helped me find my way back." Reaching back into his bag, he pulled one such seal out and handed it to her.

"You created these?" She asked in genuine awe.

"With some help from Fukumi. She's the fuinjutsu expert on the team, but I help out. Pick up a few things. They're not what I call hard tools, but they're still something."

"So, you like working with tools and weapons. I'm not surprised. I hear your family's been in the antique dealing business for quite some time."

"Believe it or not, it partially inspired me to become a ninja." He cheerily confessed. The last sight he saw before he clamped down on his pork cutlet was her smiling face. What came next was heat, but not the sort in his cheeks. His first instinct was to spit out what was in his mouth, and that's exactly what he did. "Ah! That was hot! Way hotter than I remember…" Trailing off, his eyes widened as he looked to his unlikely dinner partner. Her surprise was a well-done act, but he wasn't fooled by it. If he was, well, he was in worse shape than he thought. Putting his chopsticks down, Seiji laced his fingers together. "Release!"

He felt it, the brief disruption then realignment of his chakra flow. It was akin to when Kurenai had dispelled the genjutsu from the puzzle box. Thankfully, there was no snow wind whipping at his face or adrenaline still pumping through his system.

Also, Kurenai wasn't panting as well with cuts all over her body. She was instead giving him an amused yet proud smile.

Seiji's brow knitted as he tried to put together the last piece of the puzzle. Admittedly, he didn't have to think too hard. "Kind of feel stupid for falling for such an obvious ruse."

"When it comes to genjutsu, it's the smallest things. Something as insignificant as a fly buzzing about can give you the window you need to cast the genjutsu."

But I've got a feeling only a master like you could use that small a time window, and do it so flawlessly. That statement went unspoken. Instead, what he actually said was simply, "Noted. So, always keep my eyes open. Thanks for the lesson."

"You're welcome, and…sorry about the pork cutlet."

He really would have forgiven her, but the sheer cuteness of the apologetic smile she shot him was pure overkill. Not that he was complaining about it. "It's fine. Some lessons come with a bit of loss and pain."

She held out her bento box. "Here, you can have anything you want from mine."

As appealing as the remains of her box was, it was actually what she was holding her chopsticks that caught his eye. His box had been free of fish, not a great loss, but one that he quietly mourned. Held in her chopsticks was a delicious piece of grilled mackerel that had his mouth silently watering.

As expected of her, she took notice of what he was looking at. Still smiling she held it up to him. Feeling that familiar warm feeling, stronger than before, he reached forward and took hold of it with his chopsticks. "Thank you."

"Technically, it's your food, so I'm just giving it back to you in a sense."

The rest of dinner passed like a pleasant breeze, not at all like the harsh winds still blowing outside. By this point, all either of them could do was hope it'd lighten up come morning-although neither of them were putting all their chips on that. Mother nature could be unpredictable.

It was only after dinner ended that a certain charge entered the air. Seiji knew what it was, as did Kurenai, who fixed him with a sharp stare. Now that they'd eaten, it was time to start his training.

When the fire began to die, he was a second away from walking over to get some more firewood, only to remember what the lesson was. A deep breath and he extended his hand toward it. Though it seemed to have been dying, he still felt the same heat as he had before, when it was still big and strong. That was the first test, a rather easy one. He knew it would only get harder from there.

That guess was proven right when he looked back and found two Kurenais smiling at him.

"Well? Which one?" They both simultaneously said.

"Oh man, this is…" he muttered. In a heartbeat, he looked over the both of them, finding them to be exactly identical. Seiji looked between the two of them even harder despite his quick analysis. No, they're not. They're…not. The smell, the aroma, it was completely out of place in the home. He hadn't smelt anything so fresh in days, though that did make him enjoy it while it lasted. "You, on the left."

Smiling, she undid the jutsu. In doing so, the illusionary clone emitted a flurry of cherry blossom petals. They were so lifelike, so dazzling, that he reached for them. Unfortunately, all he grasped was air, empty air. Though he knew that, Seiji still couldn't help but sigh.

"You know, I can't wait to see real cherry blossoms when all this is over with."

"Me too." The echoing voice reminded him how much of a slip up he'd made. True to form, it wasn't two Kurenais, it was four this time. All sitting before him in the same position. "Okay…this is…I can do this."

"I'm sure you can." One of them said.

"Take your time." Spoke the second.

"Remember, this is only your beginners training." Added the third one.

"Learn what you must here, so you'll be ready for when you encounter genjutsu outside." Concluded the fourth, sounding very much like the teacher she was. At the moment, to him.

Okay, you can do this, Seiji. You can do this. That was the mantra he repeated to himself. it was on repeat for the next several hours. He said it as he saw double (and triple), things on the ceiling, holes in the all and ceiling, animal calls, and even the blizzard stopping. He told Kurenai the last one just seemed cruel, a statement she agreed with.

"I think it's safe to call it a night." She wasn't tired in the slightest. A dozen hours and it hadn't affected her in the slightest, although it was clear she hadn't exactly been trying too hard. Seiji was true it was going to be a while before she'd have to in order to deceive him. "You've made good progress, Seiji."

As for him, well, he couldn't stop rubbing his eyes and triple-checking everything around him. Even after she told him they were through for the night, he felt a lingering sense of paranoia. "That's…good to know." When he ran his hand through his face, he half-expected to see something that wasn't real. As his hands fell away, he found, much to his relief, he was still face-to-face with the same raven-haired woman as before.

Said woman flashed him a gentle smile. "I mean it, Seiji. We're done for the night, and you did make good progress. We can pick it up again tomorrow. Along with trying to open the boxes." His gaze shifted back to the pack they were stored in. They hadn't touched them since Kurenai had pulled them out and aside. After before, and Seiji revealing his shortcomings in genjutsu, she was perfectly willing to hold off on trying to crack them.

Just looking at them generated a storm of nervousness in him that wasn't easily quelled. He knew he was going to have to face it eventually. Learning that it was the Kurama Clan who'd put the genjutsu traps on the box, or boxes, didn't make him excited at the idea.

"Hey, look at me." Her voice made him realize he'd been looking at them, perhaps too hard. It was a relief to turn back and stare into those crimson eyes. "Whatever happens when we try to crack open those boxes, we'll face it and handle it. Together." Her hand reached out and fell on his shoulder. It helped in quenching the anxious gale within him.

"Right, together. Thank you, Kurenai-sensei, for everything." He rested his hand atop hers. "I don't know how much help, I'll be, but I'll try my best."

"Seiji, you've saved my life twice over these last two days. If things go south, which I hope they won't, you'll be able to handle yourself. And I'll be able to count on you, just like I have been for the last two days."

He was glad to hear that. It made for a hell of a thing to fall asleep to. After such an eventful day, he felt his body quickly begin to unwind as he settled into his sleeping bag. Even the continuous pound of the blizzard outside seemed little more than an inconvenience. He had a feeling it was going to continue into the next day, their third day at this unlikely shelter. A third day alone with Kurenai.

I guess winter's been good for something after all. He thought as he felt drowsiness sinking its claws into him. As with the night before, he was more than willing to let it.

Sleep didn't come fast enough though. Not fast enough for him to completely lose all feeling. He was still faintly aware of his surroundings. Aware enough that he was able to feel the peck on his checks.

"Thank you, Seiji. I promise, no matter what we face in those boxes, or anything else we face on this mountain. No matter what, I won't let any of it hurt you."

His training was the only reason he didn't react to that. He feigned sleep while she settled into her own sleeping bag. Seiji stayed awake until he heard the soft murmur of her breathing, then he turned around and looked at her from across him. Inevitably, his hand went to his cheek, where he felt the undeniable presence of her lips. He knew it was going to stay with him throughout the night, into his dreams, and sure as hell into the next day.

---

Took a bit longer than I'd like, but there's the second chapter. A bit longer than the first one. I originally thought this chapter was going to be shorter but as usually, once I started writing I couldn't stop on account of wanting to fit certain things into this chapter. With those things done, the rest of the story can move forward at a pace I wanted it to.

The perspective flip from Kurenai to Seiji was something I knew I needed to do. It allowed me to explain the latter's backstory in what I felt was an organic way along with laying out more of his personality. I original envisioned his aversion to genjutsu being something innate, but then it hit me that adding it into his team's failing the Chunin Exams would work to further his feelings toward it. Personally, the Forest of Death was the first time I felt scared watching Naruto as a kid; things really started to intensify between the survival battles and Orochimaru and Gaara having their defining introductions. All that said, Team 7 and Kabuto teaming up to make that final push was one of my favorite moments from that sub-arc. So, I had Seiji's team go through a bit of a reversal based on Kabuto's explanation of the exam's inner workings. Given only 21 teams passed the second stage, it was easy to write his team in as one of the many that failed.

Yes, the Kurama Clan will be playing a minor background role to this story. There's your answer as to how Kurenai still ended up caught despite seemingly breaking the genjutsu lock. Filler or not, the episodes focused on Yakumo and her clan were probably one of the series' best showing of genjutsu, as well as another display of the series dipping into the horror genre. I can promise there won't be anything quite as frightening as repressed psyche turned murderous, especially going into the next chapters.

Originally, I wanted this story wrapped up by Kurenai's birthday, June 11th, but it's clear I'm not going to make that deadline. Regardless, expect the next chapter to be up around then. Until next time, readers!

Oh, and kudos to those of you who caught the reference to Irish mythology (or Fate/Zero) with one of the rumors about what's under Kakashi's mask!